Aqua's Apprenticeship
by Die Wiederkehr
Summary: For lack of a better title. Aqua is just a six year old little girl with a heart of light, raised by parents with dark hearts. One day, Eraqus see's this little girl playing and decides to take her as his apprentice.


Aqua had been six years old when she had first met him. Out in the back yard of her parents' new home, playing with her new neighbors like any normal child her age, in one hand was a plastic sword and she was dueling with one of the kids. It was a little boy, just a little over a year old than herself and he was… losing. To and eight year old girl with a plastic sword against his wooden one. Neither cared though, they were having too much fun playing. But the man cared. He was watching them intently.

The boy, his skills were nothing noteworthy but the girl he was playing with, her skills were. He had originally been watching the boy; the light in his heart was noteworthy if his skills were not. Then the blue haired little girl had moved in next door. Her heart was full of light, a heart of pure light and she was a natural at fighting. But he could sense that her true talents lie in magic. It was then he decided on an apprentice. Although, their might be difficulty with her parents and convincing them to let him take her away; their hearts were... full of darkness that he couldn't allow to affect the life of the child. He would convince them though; for the girls sake.

It was late evening when the doorbell rang. Aqua was running around the house, laughing. She stopped to answer the door, and looked up at the towering figure that was there. Aqua stared in awe; he was dressed different than anyone she had ever seen. A white, red lined haori that had a hood, along with slightly shorter than normal, light-colored hakama. Underneath his haori, he wore a navy blue shirt with a large white X pattern on the front. There were scars on his face but Aqua wasn't afraid of them; instead she was curious. Before she could ask anything though, he spoke.

"I apologize for coming at this late hour but I ask to speak with your parents, young one." He said gently, as if he expected her to be afraid.

"My name is Aqua, not young one." She said softly before grabbing his sleeve and pulling him into the house and into the living room. "Mommy, daddy. This man wants to talk to you." The look they gave her, for interrupting their time, was not to Eraqus' liking. And the look he leveled at them, erased the look they gave Aqua.

"Yes well, go to your room Aqua. We'll talk to him." Her father said, shooing her from the room. However, much to his displeasure, Eraqus stopped the little girl.

"Actually, I'd prefer to keep her in the room. It involves her much more than it involves you." Without waiting for an invitation, Eraqus took the nearest empty seat and closed his eyes, thinking. A minute later he opened them again and looked between Aqua and her parents. "My name is Eraqus and I've come in search of an apprentice. Earlier today I saw your daughter playing and her skills are… Impressive, for one so young. As I see it, she would excel admirably if I were to take her with me to study."

Aqua's eyes went wide. Leave home? With this man who had just barely introduced himself a minute ago. Her parents seemed to be on the same thought pattern because her father looked furious. He was on his feet in an instant and he looked prepared to threaten Eraqus but the mysterious man remained completely calm.

"You expect us to let our daughter go with you?" At this, Eraqus turned to Aqua and spoke softly.

"Perhaps now would be the best time to leave the room. I'll call for you." And surprisingly, Aqua nodded and listened to him, rushing from the room. It was then that Eraqus stood and crossed the room to meet Aqua's fathers furious glare.

"That girl deserves to reach her potential. And like it or not, I will not allow you to hinder that. We can do this easily with your permission or the hard way." And with that, gold blocks surrounding his hand in a digital design, he summoned his Keyblade. The man's eyes widened at the sight of the Keyblade. It was strong magic, he believed, that could summon a weapon from nowhere. He took several steps back from Eraqus.

However, moments later, the man summoned his own Keyblade. Black in color, the handle was blood red and jagged with black thorns wrapping around the guard of it. The shaft swirled between black and red up to the teeth which were shaped like a sun, flames bursting outwards angrily. The keychain hanging from it was a black star.

"If anyone is going to train her, it will be me. And it will be through my beliefs that we can bring _it_ back. She'll be strong enough, and with her heart we'll be able to-" At those words, Eraqus brought his Keyblade against Aqua's fathers. Unbelievable, Eraqus knew exactly what the man meant but who had told him about it? The _X_-Blade was supposed to fade out of memory. Throwing out his hand, Eraqus used a medium strength fire spell and threw the man back before attacking with a side swipe before dropping and tripping him. It was plain to see that he had never trained with a Master before. His ability to fight was purely based on brute force.

That wasn't where his advantage lie though because his wife, Aqua's mother, was a wielder as well. It must have been a foolish Master, one who had been desperate to see the _X_-Blade made, who made them an inheritor. Both came at him but a back flip got him out of the way and he cast a high strength blizzard spell at the mother while clashing Keyblade's with the father. Kicking at his chest, Eraqus made a quick, and unfortunate, decision. Neither would stop, so he'd have to destroy them or rid their bodies of their hearts and let them fade into the darkness that had consumed them so.

"This has gone on longer than necessary." Eraqus tightened his grip on his Keyblade and cast Aero, before attacking Aqua's mother, freeing her heart from her body. After a moment, her body faded into nothingness, leaving only the father. It was disappointing that her skills had been so poor, yet she still attempted to fight. No one had even attempted to train these people. Aqua's father attacked hard then, at the sight of his wife vanishing in darkness. He was merciless in his strikes but Eraqus matched him with ease.

"Enough of this. You are merely wasting time." Eraqus said with a frown before taking his fighting up a step and thrusting his Keyblade into the fathers chest. He'd have to avert Aqua's gaze when he took her away. Even with his head leaving his body, Aqua's father still seemed dead-set on trying to fight the Master. With a shake of his head, Eraqus made his Keyblade disappear before walking out of the room and upstairs.

It was easy to find Aqua's room, he could sense the light in her heart. He knocked on the door three times before opening it to see the child curled up on her bed, staring at the wall. It was a sad sight, but it wouldn't be for much longer. He would see to it.

"Come child. I'm going to train you and you are going to be a powerful Keyblade Master, someday.; as long as you believe in the light that dwells in your heart." Aqua looked up at him with big, innocent, blue eyes and smiled before taking his hand.


End file.
